“Boomer? Uh Vic?” Georgie said hesitantly, that was the first time she had used his real name and she looked at him intently.
“Yeah, baby,” he said and kept walking, but did grab her hand though.
“Listen, I realize when we get to the end of the tunnel today, you nor I know what is gonna be waiting. I just wanted to clear the air a little, you know about what happened down here. I mean, I get the whole, intense situation and relationships built on that usually don’t, uh work. I think I heard that in a movie once, yeah, Sandra Bullock said it in Speed, but anyway. Okay, so I just want you to know. That even running from the bad guys and everything, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Boomer nodded and said seriously, “Neither would I, but this is not the end of us. When we get out of here, it is just the beginning. Who gives two shits what some chick said in a movie, it doesn’t mean dick to me.”
“Okay then, well, I just want you to know…” Georgie said and Boomer squeezed her hand.
“Baby, I know, all will be good, I am anxious to meet your parents.”
Georgie laughed and shook her head. “You’ll change that tune.”
After that, they had talked a little, not much, enough though so she had felt like he was concentrating hard on what was to come. She wasn’t going to annoy him or interrupt him. There were several things she thought of while they were walking that she wanted answers to.
First off, why the hell were they running from the Columbians, she knew what he had told her, but it was barely enough for her to go on. She knew the Ops had their secrets too, Sofia and her had talked about it; however, it was like with her brother, ask no questions, tell no lies, he always said. Which was cool, because he was her brother; Boomer, well, she trusted him. There was just something about him, but still, she deserved a little bit of an explanation. As they walked, she was determined to find out what was going on. So when they stopped for lunch, she brought it up finally.
“So, why do these people, the Columbians, care so much about you and the club? I mean, I know there are things that are none of my business, I get it. The club business is club business, however, since they are chasing me as well, and I kinda got dragged into this. Sofia and I might not have been around clubs before, but Kink from the Ops I grew up with and my brother is tight lipped with his business too. I get it, but really right now, we don’t know what we are walking into and I would really like to understand what’s going on,” she said and Boomer looked at her intently.
“Baby,” he said finally. “I get what you are saying, I do, and yeah, I would love to tell you what is going on, but I can’t. I can’t until I can talk to Fling and the others, get permission to tell you stuff. It’s not just our lives on the line here, seriously, there is a lot more going on than what you know.”
She paused and then looked down to her lunch and she nodded. She understood, shit she did on one level, but seriously, on another level, she totally didn’t get it. How in the hell was she supposed to risk her life, because she really could have left Boomer in Mexico, gone to the Embassy and explained what happened and fuck everyone else. But she hadn’t, why? Because she had listened to him.
“Okay, I understand, but do you get where I am coming from. I am here, too, though, it just doesn’t seem—” Georgie said and Boomer interrupted.
“I get that, baby, I do. But this is club life, there is shit I can’t tell you, ever, there is some I can share. But through all of it, you need to trust me to make sure you are taken care of. I will, you can trust me to do that, but you are going to need to make a decision before we leave here, baby. If you want this beyond this place, you need to decide, I am not gonna change, I can’t, those guys, they are my brothers, they are the guys who have been with me through thick and thin and no way will I ever betray that.”
Georgie was silent, she could deal with that, it wasn’t too hard, but what she couldn’t is risking her life when she had no clue who the enemy was besides knowing it was the ‘Columbians’. Who would? she thought and she felt Boomer stiffen and damn it, she knew she had said that out loud. Fuck.
“Well,” Boomer said with a hard tone she hadn’t heard before, shit, she needed to fix this. She was frustrated, she hadn’t seen sunlight in three days, and those days a lot of shit had been happened. Now, because she wanted just a tiny bit of an answer, she was shut down, oh hell no.
“Wait,” Georgie said but Boomer didn’t. He picked up the trash threw it away, made sure things were cleaned up, and he started to walk. Really? she thought, really?
“Yeah,” Boomer said over his shoulder. “Really, I laid that out for you, and you still need something, that is my answer. It cuts me to say this, but glad I know now, because this shit with my club, it is real, it is what we do, and it is who we are. You can’t accept it, then you can’t, I can’t waste time on trying to get you to see the light.”
Georgie rolled her eyes, asshole. She followed him, two steps behind because she was just fucking annoyed. How dare he think she didn’t trust him enough for this. How fucking dare he? She had followed him, she had gone against everything she knew and really it was better she knew now.
They walked in silence the last three and a half hours to the end of the tunnel. They reached the slightly larger room than where they entered. There was a ladder like before, but this time, there were two guns on the ground right in front of the ladder, as well as a small shelf that had clothes, cellphones, and other things someone may need when they came out of the tunnel. Boomer froze and then looked back and her and said, “Change of plans.”
“Huh? Change of plans? How is there is change in plans, you haven’t talked to anyone, gone up there, checked it out, how is two guns laying on the ground a change of plans?” she snapped.
Boomer glared at her. “There is, now, you need to step back a few steps, give me some room. I will go up, take the cellphone, make sure it is cool. Then you can come out if everything is good, playing this safe, Georgie.”
He said her name, didn’t call her ‘baby’ like he had for the last couple of days, it showed he was thinking of her differently. Shit, when they got out of here, and back home, she would deal with it, right now, she didn’t have the energy for this. See, men were high maintenance everywhere, she wanted to talk to her mom and Sofia, they would have words of wisdom.
She turned without saying a word and walked back down the tunnel a few feet, leaned against the wall, and hid herself. Boomer nodded and then looked up at the door, he put his foot on the first rung and heard the first discharge of a gun above. He turned and pointed to Georgie.
“Stay there, do not come out, if someone other than me yells down here to come out don’t, run the other way, and know the Furies will get you out of here. Take this, turn off the safety and be ready,” he barked and then tossed a gun at her. She caught it, and thank God she didn’t fumble it.
She heard the popping noises and closed her eyes, shit, someone was up there, someone who totally didn’t want them to come up. Why else would there be guns? Was it the Columbians? Why had they allowed them this far? It was just mindblowing to her, to have someone hate you so much they would follow you to kill you. They didn’t know her, and yet they still wanted to hurt her. What did that say about them, not the club, so far, Boomer had not said anything about them going after these people, no it was these people coming after them. Could the club have done something to earn this level of hatred, maybe. But logically, she still felt like they had started this.
Her decision? Thinking things through, Boomer had said she had to decide if she trusted him enough to live this lifestyle with him. If you would have asked her three hours ago, she would have said no. Now, she wasn’t so sure, she didn’t want to know every single thing the club was involved in. She wanted to build bikes, have a man who supported and loved her, and she wanted to feel safe. Isn’t that what she had felt these last three days, safe. The answer was simple, because she had, there was no way she would have ever relaxed enough to joke, l
augh, get to know someone. Dammit, she really needed to tell him that, and soon.
Chapter Twelve
Fling stood with his arms crossed as whoever was in the SUV fired on Ricco and his men. They had driven right into the line of fire like dumbasses and now they were sitting there. He heard a noise and turned to the other side and saw the front of another SUV, that was two, the rest had to have held back and were moving in on foot. He heard the men yelling in the warehouse, they had come toward the back entrance as well. He pulled his gun and then waited. Ortiz was coming, and he was going to be the one who dealt with him. He raised his gun and fired on both SUVs, making sure whoever was in the SUV knew they were not making it out of there alive. He was far enough against the wall that they couldn’t get a clear shot of him, they had made sure of it when they moved the doors back on this building when they bought it. Just five inches and it was more than enough.
He shot as men appeared around the side of the SUVs, obviously they hadn’t been in them, they had used them as decoys, and as buffers to sneak up on them. He would bet there were two other ones on the other side of the building. They had boxed them in, but it didn’t matter, they had a way out, they always had a way out when Boomer was there. He just needed to get there.
Ricco yelled from the roof of the building to him. “Fling, they are coming in the back. We got this, they are focused on the shortest route in now. My men will have moved to intercept.”
He nodded, he didn’t give a shit who heard him, although Fling seriously doubted anyone could hear over the rapid shots firing all around them. He turned, moving slowly as if bullets weren’t flying all around him, he wasn’t giving anyone the satisfaction of saying he ran anywhere.
Fling opened the door and walked back into the large warehouse. The Furies were all at their posts, he could tell there were assholes trying to get close to the back door since Bear had knocked out the window and was shooting anyone who was got close. Marker was on the ground holding his shoulder, there was blood coming out, while Monster took his place. They were yelling to each other and the noise in the room was almost deafening. His eyes were drawn to the tunnel door; he could see it opening. Fling moved quickly and tore open the door to see Boomer there with a gun and the phone in his hand.
“No one was answering.” Boomer smirked.
“We are all a little busy,” Fling said and held out his hand. “Where is the girl?” he said when Boomer was clear of the shaft.
“Still down there, figured it would be best to leave her there for now,” Boomer said and then looked around. Fling shut the door to the shaft and then pointed to all of the guys who were in position.
He pointed to the wounded and Boomer nodded and went to drag them to the middle of the warehouse, when he was done, MDog grabbed the first aid kit and began patching people up until they got home. Fling was helping him and barking out orders as he did.
“Has anyone seen Ortiz?” Fling yelled and the men shook their heads. Fling swore and then grabbed another gun. Bear’s shoulder bucked and Fling knew he had been hit as well, fuck. He left Boomer and went to the large man who was still firing out the back window. When he got close Bear growled.
“There are too many of them back here, the five SUVs weren’t who was waiting, trust me, I have shot at least five, and there is at least thirty to forty more out there. We are surrounded. SUVs block both exits on either side of the warehouse, and there is one still missing from the five.”
Fling pulled him back and then looked out the window. He couldn’t see Ortiz, but the other men, yeah they were his, he knew a few from the folder that the agency who initially hired them provided. He yelled out the window, “Ortiz, come and get me you prick.”
He shot and moved back, looking around as another of their guys, Snipes, fell to the ground. Fling turned and yelled at Boomer to take the other window. He nodded and then moved to pull back Snipes to the others who had been wounded.
Boomer nodded to Fling as he took over the window. Shit, this was going to suck, Boomer thought, Georgie was in the tunnel alone, and Ortiz had brought some serious firepower.
“Fling, Ricco,” Bear yelled and Boomer looked over his shoulder, a man walked through the door calmly and looked around, his eyes landed on Fling and he made his way over to him. Boomer narrowed his eyes, he wasn’t sure who the hell that guy was but he was dangerous, it practically oozed from his body. He looked familiar, like Boomer should know the guy, but he didn’t. He was dressed in designer clothes like he was taking a walk in the park instead of at a shootout in a warehouse. He supposed he should be thanking him as he looked like he was helping them, but something told Boomer, the guy didn’t want thanks.
Boomer turned and fired again at a guy who had peeked his head out from the building across the way. They had gotten inside and were using it as a shield. He tried to remember what was in there, they had gotten a repost of the surrounding building so they would know if there were explosives in them. They had some here it was dangerous to have so much so close, if something would have happened it would have looked like the 4th of July around here.
“They are in the building across,” Boomer called and his brother focused on the windows over there, making sure if there was anyone moving, they shot them. Boomer looked up and saw Ortiz’s men on the roof now, they were focused on whoever was on the roofs of this building or another one. He pointed and took out one of them and grimaced as he fell to the ground between the two building. Shit, there were at least five bodies in the path, there was no way they were getting out of this without jail time.
Sirens, Boomer thought and yelled back, “Cops.”
The man who had walked in snorted and nodded. “They will never come in the lot.” Boomer watched as the man pulled a cell out of his pocket and dialed a number. He barked in the phone at someone. “Make sure we are protected; they are getting too close.”
Boomer frowned and looked back to the man and said, “Who in the hell are you?”
He looked at Boomer with a serious expression and said, “A friend of the Ops, name is Ricco.”
He nodded and went back to looking for anyone who was trying to get into the building. He felt a bullet hit the window ledge below him, and he growled and then shot the man who had fired on him. Fucker.
Fling said something to Ricco that had him turning quickly.
“Let me get her out of here,” Ricco said and Boomer turned and shook his head. Fling looked at him and studied his face and he saw a look of acknowledgement flick across it, yeah he knew and then he shrugged.
“No,” Boomer snapped. “She is safe right there.”
Ricco looked at him closely and said, “She won’t be if they get through, I’ll take her out now, make sure my men get her clear, and then we take care of business. As it is, one of us needs to stay alive and make sure she gets out, we are being careful not to let the warehouse fall. Unfortunately, that’s not happening, you are here, she is here, get her out, and then we finish them.”
Boomer looked at Fling who was nodding his head and Boomer sighed and nodded back. “Send her out of here,” Fling said.
Ricco nodded and turned, walked back to the door and opened it yelling at two men named Marco and Raphael. Boomer yelled to Hardline to come and take over for him. He really was going to warn the guy, really he was. However, when Ricco got to the door he moved faster than what Boomer was prepared for, he was pulling at the latch before he knew it.
“Wait!” Boomer yelled but it was too late. He had opened the door and yelled down to Georgie. Ricco froze when he saw the woman looking up at him pointing a gun. Boomer grimaced when he saw the look on her face, yeah she was a little more than pissed right now, but at least when she saw him, she took her finger off the trigger.
“Come on, Georgie, time to get you out of here,” Boomer snapped and then waited while she put the gun in the back of her jeans and she crawled up. When she got to the top, that smooth fucker, Ricco, held out a hand, yeah, he was smooth alright.
>
She got out and went and stood with Ricco, motherfucker, no way. He moved and grabbed her by the arm, ready to drag her across the warehouse and make sure she knew who she still belonged to. He had been pissed but it didn’t matter.
Georgie apparently had another idea though, she ripped her arm out of his grip and then pointed a finger at him and yelled at him like they weren’t in the middle of a fucking gun fight.
“No,” she snapped. “You lost that right.”
Boomer shook his head and said, “I was pissed.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Well so the fuck am I. Now,” she said and looked around at the men who were on the ground bleeding. She ignored him and went to Bear who was propped against the wall.
“Bear,” she said, he was her new brother-in-law, Bob her new sister, she was pregnant and was gonna be pissed the fuck off.
Bear shook his head and looked at Boomer, and then back to Georgie. “Say the word and you are under my protection.”
She nodded and said, “Word.”
Bear looked at his brother Boomer and said, “We deal later, for now, she is mine and she is out of here.”
Georgie nodded and refused to look at Boomer, she flinched every time the ping hit the side of the building. She just really needed to get out of here. A man behind her said, “Ricco, get her out of here. They are coming.”
Two men entered the door smoothly and prowled across the room. Holy shit, was there a prerequisite to belong to the shootout, did they post a sign saying, ‘hot guys come to shoot out’?
The two men who had entered the room grinned and the man named Ricco actually laughed, which apparently wasn’t the norm because Boomer growled, “Really?”
Shit, she thought, back to normal. “Oh uh, sorry, yeah I have this thing.”
Ricco chuckled and said, “Cute.”
Her eyes widened and Bear made a noise of frustration. “Do not make me sorry I am trusting you, Ricco.”
Inferno Page 10
